| women dropping their once much-treasure tools-the FGM knives |
It was a
moment filled with emotions under the sunny afternoon in historical village of
Wassu, North of Central River Region, where 30 once-committed women mutilators
publically rose up to denounce the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
and surrender their sharp knives, knives they use to mutilate young girls and
ladies with.
The
first ever in the region, women danced to the rhythm of the drums and the
melodious tunes of traditional music as they denounce FGM, and promised never
to go back to what they described as harmful.
The
colorfully dressed women, paraded themseves with their hands raised up in front
of the guests including the governor and other traditional leaders of the area.
These includes Community groups, religious leaders, local leaders, FGM
survivors, youth groups, ex-cutters and individual activists and European
delegates in the country and one by one, they lay on the ground their once
much-treasured tools – the FGM knives.